A delegation of engineers from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, MBRSC, participated in the International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, IGARSS, held at the Feria Valencia Convention and Exhibition Centre from 22nd to 27th July, 2018.

The delegation attended workshops and lectures where they discussed vital topics in the field of geomatics and remote sensing, to highlight the pressing demands for observing, understanding and predicting the dynamics of the planet.

During the conference, Saeed Al Mansoori, Head of Applications Development and Analysis Centre at the MBRSC and the Chair of Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society – IEEE (UAE Section), presented the educational initiatives and activities that were held in Dubai last year in the field of remote sensing such as the GIS and Remote Sensing Annual Scientific Forum. He also highlighted the events and workshops that were organized this year and presented the future plans to upgrade remote sensing in the UAE to benefit from it in all fields of services.

Al Mansoori also shed light on the upcoming Remote Sensing Application Competition, which will be held in September 2018. The competition aims to promote the use of important data received from DubaiSat-2, and develop a smart tool to solve some of the challenges related to remote sensing analysis using image processing and deep learning concepts, in addition to teaching university students about geosciences and remote sensing.

Yousuf Al Shaibani, Director-General of the MBRSC, said, “Our participation in IGARSS reflects our commitment to reviewing the best global practices and the latest technologies in this field and highlighting the latest applications developed by the MBRSC. It also allows us to discuss these applications with experts and scientists in the field of remote sensing.

This contributes to the enhancement of quality of life and happiness index in Dubai, and promotes the emirate as a smart city, to reflect the objectives of the UAE Centennial 2071, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The UAE Centennial includes key objectives for the future of the UAE to be achieved by its centennial. This also supports the Dubai Plan 2021 to make Dubai a smart and sustainable city whose environmental elements are clean, healthy and sustainable.”

IGARSS is the largest scientific gathering, co-organised by NASA and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and witnesses the participation of over 4,000 academics, researchers and specialists in geomatics and remote sensing from all around the world.